What is your why?

There is a concept in the mind-set coaching space called finding your “why.” When you distill everything you are doing down to why you are really doing it. What do you really, truly want? It's kind of like a mission statement.

I have been thinking about my “why” for coaching work lately. My “why” is to facilitate the relief of suffering. When I studied Buddhism, so much of the Buddhist philosophy was about turning our attention back towards our minds and noticing how the nature of the mind creates suffering. Buddhists call it the “monkey mind.” Coaching is the 21st century version of what Buddhism had figured out thousands of years ago. It provides the tools to work with the mind and our thoughts in order to relieve suffering. From there, our lives transform. 

In Mahayana Buddhism, practitioners can take a vow called the Bhodisattva vow, in which you promise to continue re-incarnating (instead of escaping to heaven) until all beings are free from suffering. It sounds lofty, but the Buddhist belief in this type of compassion continues to inspire me and lives permanently in my heart. 

Hope you all are enjoying the warmth of summer and living out your “why”! 

What is your deeper why? It could be for your career, for parenthood, or for any other pursuits.

How can clarifying your why help motivate you to keep moving forward, even when feeling discouraged?